IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 22, Issue 12, Ver. 2 (December. 2017) PP 49-52 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org Role of Youth In The Church Gladys Kerubo Ragira1, Dr. Rispah N. Wepukhulu2, Dr. Savala Angeline3, 1 Phd Student in Religion: Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology 2 Lecturer in Department of Social Sciences Kibabii University College 3 Lecturer in Department of Social Science Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Abstract: The youth and their well-being have been neglected by the society which gives priority to false success images as opposed to the youth well-being. In today’s church, of all the teenagers’ diverse viewpoints, it cannot be ignored that the youth are the church and the world both in the present and the future. This is seen as in their support for the church members who are adults in teaching them and assuming church responsibilities in the future when they grow older. In contrast, the youth today have been known to take a nosedive into the technological and consumerism distracting worlds that lead to destruction of their spiritual attachment with Jesus as well as their ties with the family. As is evidence, the dominating secular culture in the world deprives the youth of personal, economic and spiritual tools which will aid the young generation into being Christ’s disciples. In turn, the young generation has sought to neglect their role in spreading the gospel and settled for less since they have been ignored by the society. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------Date of Submission: 17-11-2017 Date of acceptance: 09-12-2017 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- I. INTRODUCTION The youth have a big role is the ministry which can only be possible through adults demonstrating to them that a discipleship and love culture is embraced in the church (Day & Kurtz, 2017). In our various churches, the youth have been deprived of proper assets for development from the church, parents and school to help them grow and spread the gospel. Such assets will assist in preventing the youths from premarital sexual behavior, drug abuse and anti-social behavior which are rated high risk behaviors. This way, the level of responsibility and pro-social behaviors among the youths will be encouraged and spread by youths to their fellows in the church hence promoting living standards that are healthy and spiritually effective to yield successful and responsible adult society. To boost these efforts, the church must incorporate contemporary stratagems to the youth ministry in establishing the growth of youths. The elders have a role to be flexible and adjust to the ever changing needs of youths through updating and matching the youth energy and vitality while avoiding old models. The youth must therefore in the long-run not to dilute the gospel message but discover how to live out the good news and encourage others to do so (Nielson, 2016). The role of youths in the ministry The church is a community composed of members from diverse backgrounds who enjoin to share the work of God. The youth must therefore be involved actively in drawing the congregation both old and young to participate responsibly in the work, life and mission of the church and the community (Nielson, 2016). When the youth are drawn to the community it becomes easier for them to comprehend what it is to live in the Christian community. The youth in the family community God acts in the world, gathers and forms us through the family as the most basic and first community cite. The youth must demonstrate in the family the moral, spiritual as well as overall faith development and act as mentors to adolescents. With love and support from their parents, the youths are to enhance the family to live in faith and love for Christ which brings about novel understanding as well as skills in the family so as family life is enhanced (Day & Kurtz, 2017; Campbell, 2000). Therefore, the youth must lead other family members in building a community that precipitates Christianity and the love for Christ (Day & Kurtz, 2017; Chancey & Bruner, 2017). The youth in the Church Community In the church, the youth must play the same role as adults as the gospel mission calls all believers to glorify and spread the good news of God. Today, the youths in church are learning many Christian faith concepts which is important but they should not be set aside by adults as the Christian calling is a calling to all DOI: 10.9790/0837-2212024952 www.iosrjournals.org 49 | Page Role Of Youth In The Church (Campbell, 2000). Youth involvement in the church community is crucial since it is in the church that the people of God meet Christ through the Holy Communion in a way that is concrete. Therefore, the churches must be friendly to youths in fostering their growth spiritually. When the youths are welcomed and allowed to serve alongside adults in the church community, they develop a full-fledged member feeling and can be easily identified as a community. The youths have a role to present their youthful vision and energy in the activities of the church since they have a great deal to offer as youth Christians to the church. Through meaningful roles, the youths can express their faith hence develop a commitment spirit to the church as a community. The church therefore must tap the talents from youths and be friendly to them through valuing the adolescents through adequate response to their needs and carefully giving the audience. The church must facilitate the youth activities through providing them with money and facilities that enable them to grow as disciplines (Thompson, 2017). As the youth commit to the church, the church must also give back to the youths by committing to their development. The youth in organizational Community Apart from the school, the church and the family, Christian youths have an obligation in the greater community for the church (Chancey & Bruner, 2017). The church has the responsibility to reach out for youths and establish an organization of young disciplines to go out and be witnesses in spreading the gospel truth. The youth can learn about joyful giving in service organization communities as they are challenged spiritually to love other people like Jesus does (Day & Kurtz, 2017). Through activities like rural development, the youths can spread the gospel. This way, the youths use their energy to develop their villages in areas that are stuck in alcohol abuse, illiteracy, bad social habits, and unemployment among others. Through social work in the villages where youths live, rural development is possible alongside the spread of the gospel message through huge numbers of youth volunteers. This way, the evils and problems in the villages can be minimized. For instance, if there is promise for every youth to take part in giving education to one youth villager in the village who is illiterate, the whole village will become literate hence able to study the bible and get the gospel message (Nielson, 2016). The whole village will be an organizational community in Christ. Fostering total spiritual and personal growth of other youths The youths understand each other better than adult Christians could. Therefore, they must take part in the concern for the whole person growth and address other youth’s needs spiritually in their whole life context. The Christian youths must play a crucial role in promoting the holistic development and growth in the entire person of other youths (Nielson, 2016). They must be able to actively listen to the specific religious, development and social needs of other youths so as to enable them mature accordingly. This can be facilitated through the aid of adult church members and leaders. Christian youths must work to eliminate the current notion that the young people are least interested in Godly things. Youths whose hearts are drawn to God understand that not all that glisters is gold as many worldly pleasures will escape and only in God that everlasting hope, truth and joy can be found. As young Christians, they must turn away from worldly culture and seek Godly adults to gives Biblical answers on life challenging questions that are hard to ordinarily be answered. In the Bible, God often used youth people to do his will. For instance, when Mary conceived Jesus, she was just but a teenager while as a young giant slayer David was still a youth. To add in the list, God called Samuel to minister in the Tabernacle as a prophet when he was only a young boy (Nielson, 2016). It is through the youth people that God is working in these end times. Through providing a safe environment for youths, the church can be of great value as youths who want to congregate and live an honoring life to God. Upon sensing that the church is up to this mission, parents will be free and apt to allow their youths to worship services and events. This way, the youths themselves become of value to other youths and the church as a whole through engaging themselves in church service projects so as they feel to be making a difference in other people’s lives (Nielson, 2016). They must therefore be involved in mission trips so as to get exposure to new cultures and let the adventures stick in their minds. This excitement and enthusiasm through involvement in church activities positively impact on other church members hence make the church a place of joy to be for all. The youths should be made leaders today in rehearsal for the tomorrow church through a welcoming and encouraging environment for good life living in Christ. The youths must participate greatly in the church and the community to stop youth secularization as opposed to abandoning the youth ministry (Nielson, 2016). There is a growing need for the church to acknowledge the presence of youth service in the church today. Teaching parents to love and discipline children Together with adult Christians, the youths must be involved actively in teaching parents their ministry to their own children as they are required to continue the mentorship after the child leaves the church (Nielson, 2016). This is because parents are living with their children for their lifetime while church service is specifically on given days. Therefore, through the youths helping parents be actively and effectively involved, the long term DOI: 10.9790/0837-2212024952 www.iosrjournals.org 50 | Page Role Of Youth In The Church investment on the youth spiritual growth is achieved. It is worthwhile therefore to occasionally integrate the entire congregation as youth segregation from the entire congregation only helps in facilitating the youth ministry downfall. However, through the integration it will help in grounding into the entire church community the children. This will in turn make the youths start seeing important life moments and how the adult Christians solve these problems like an elderly adult struggling with disease but remain a faithful Christian to his or her dying bed (Day & Kurtz, 2017). This means that every moment in the life of the youth in the church can assist them foster Christian faith in Godliness as a church member through viewing the Christian faith as to be fully integrated in life and death time. Understanding healthy Biblical evangelism The youths must help others understand the gospel nature, impact and the manner in which to Biblically convey it to others. This is contrary to the understanding that much of evangelism carried out by youths concentrates on emotionalism and appeals bases on emotional. As witnessed often, puffed-up decisions result from this kind of evangelism which should not be the case. It is the role of the youth ministry to make youths grow up and not to appeal to their culture but stress on social, spiritual and emotional growth. This is as opposed to fostering the continued immaturity culture. Instead, the Biblical comprehension of sanctification must be spearheaded by youths in the church. The youths must be taught and hence teach other on solid Biblical theology and not to get entertained to their last breath (Nielson, 2016). The young Christians must help others see that their faith is beyond the surface level and not just entertaining crowds. Through solid theology, they must develop disciples and help the church grow. Focused on God’s word, the youths must unite the church and get engaged in the process of sanctification besides showing each other agape love as a church (Thompson, 2017). Through closely working with parents, the place of youths in the church is to lay the foundation for solid theology and bring together the church. In most occasions, when the youth are prevented from fulfilling and ambition that is deeply held, they opt out of the church to seek such opportunities elsewhere. They youths in the church therefore, combined with elderly church leaders must do enough to engage other youths in the mission and make them have the feeling that the church offers them the services and responsibilities they requires to be disciples who are active (Thompson, 2017). Most churches lack adequate opportunity to lay an expression of a call that God-given. This results in most young people being tempted to look for more outside the church so as their calling is fulfilled in gaining the wings in leadership and create an impact in other youths which may be constructively utilized in the church (Nielson, 2016). The youths must make the church their primary vehicle and directly impact their local churches and structures in a direct way so as to give the church a distinct bearing towards Christianity in developing future generations of Christian leaders. The local church needs the youths just as the youths need the local church. This is important hence the young pastors and workers in the church must be given an opportunity to grow and integrate in the local church rather than just wandering from an experience that seems new and exciting to another. They should be disciplined and mentored so as they can pass this to other youths in the church and the community at large (Shepherd, 2016). However, this can be hindered by a number of problems as discussed in the following section. II. CHALLENGE OF THE CHURCH Lack of church theology or unwillingness in implementing it The most outstanding challenge of the youth today is talking and walking the faith they are taught. Acts 2:41 clearly demonstrates that the local church acts as the sole vehicle of choice to God in mission, evangelism and discipleship. Both the young and the elderly are saved and converted into the local church hence must remain as the pattern. Those who lead the young people and the young people themselves do not live in vacuum, rather, they live in the church hence the youths must grasp the opportunities in their local churches so as to be mentored and trained since the church is in need of the input and gifts. The church must therefore offer church theology and be willing to implement it through giving the youth full access to many church life areas as possible so as to integrate them into the church community or family. This is where and how they can build a foundation and harness spiritual growth opportunities. The youths must be provided opportunities to impact other young people with the word of God as a way of expressing their calling and passion. This way, the church and the community will be able to benefit from the influence in development and Christianity through a stronger theology church with leaders who are more effective in mentoring and who do not rely much on youth work professionalizing (Chancey & Bruner, 2017). This will by greater impact trigger the energy in young people to positively work for the church in harvesting souls into the eternal kingdom and as the wider body of Christ in the Christian ministry. DOI: 10.9790/0837-2212024952 www.iosrjournals.org 51 | Page Role Of Youth In The Church III. CONCLUSION In the church, the youth can do so much through volunteering to work with both children and the older congregation in many ways. They can as well reach out to people who are close to their own age who are walking through doors that the older church leaders may never understand. They are crucial and the church must tap this talent and energy owing to the fact that the church is one generation away from extinction as is believed that tomorrow’s church leadership belongs to the youth. With this respect, it is self-evident that the church must be serious on their commitment to the youth and give them priority in today’s church. It is not true to be hesitant as elderly church ministers that they could effectively minister the youth or prematurely conclude that youths have no interest in serving God. In as much as they think about latest secular music and movie stars, they should be made to serve God in the church through music and other areas where best talented so as to prevent them from engaging in worldly destruction pleasures. Hence, the only value we as Christians can give to the church today is to take care of the youths and value them as this will reward the youths, the church and the whole global community now and in the coming future. REFERENCES [1]. [2]. [3]. [4]. [5]. Campbell, C. M. C. (2000). Renewing the vision: Reformed faith for the 21st century. Louisville, Ky: Geneva Press. Chancey, D., & Bruner, R. (2017). Owning faith: Reimagining the role of church & family in the faith journey of teenagers. Abilene, Texas : Leafwood Publishers. Day, D., & Kurtz, C. (2017). The reckless way of love: Notes on following Jesus. Walden : Plough Publishing House. Nielson, J. (2016). Faith that lasts: Raising kids that don't leave the church. Fort Washington, PA : CLC Publications. Thompson, N. (2017). Young People and Church Since 1900: Engagement and Exclusion. London : Taylor and Francis. Gladys Kerubo Ragira "Role of Youth In The Church.” IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS). vol. 22 no. 12, 2017, pp. 49-52. DOI: 10.9790/0837-2212024952 www.iosrjournals.org 52 | Page
